The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-25
Who Have Perpetrated All Sorts
Of Crimes,
NOT STOPPING AT MURDER.
Bound Together by an Oath to
Kill and Plunder.
A Story that Puts West Virginia
to Shame.

A Story that Puts West Virginia
to Shame.
Capt. ALI Burnett, the head Of the
famous Eureka detective agency, at
Charleston, Is in tho city fresh from the
sections OF Roane and jackson counties in
which was recently enacted the series oi
bloody tragedies which resulted in the
death Of four men, and which not only
stained the soil Of West Virginia with the
blood Of innocent men shed by their iel.
low men, but attained more deeply the
fair fame Of the State among tho com.
monweslths OF the country, attaching to
her stigma tho like of which has been a
standing reproach 10 Texas and Ken.
tucky in the past. Captain Burnett was
In that country seeking cluee which will
lead to the punishment OF the real mur.
derers OF Rev. Mr.. Ryan and OF the lynch.
era Of three men, uujuatly, ut ia now con-
ceded, hanged by lawless mob for tina.
crime.
An lETRLLiGENCER reporter met Capt.
Burnett last night, and while there has
been much printed about the Roano
county murders, the published accounta
have been 30 inadequate that the detective
WAS asked for connected story OF the
events.
THE MURDER or Mr.. RYAN.
On the night Of Thursday, October IS,
Rev. Thomss P. Ryan was shot and fatally
wounded at HE home in Roane county.
Mr.. Ryan Wac brother OF Rev. +. W.
Ryan, formerly a prominent minister OF
this city. He Tss well.to.do man, hGv-
ing the reputation OF keeping ready money
by him, end report was circulated in the
neighborhood OF bis home that at the time
OF the lost session Of Conference at Park
eraburg he drew $500 out OF G bank taere
and had 1t III hia house. 1t ia believed
that the object OF tho murde:era Was to
secure this money.
Thursday night, October 13, five OF mora
men knocked at the door of Rev. Mr..
Ryan, on the Flat Fork OF Pocs, about
seven miles from Walton, Roane county.
This wss about II o'clock, and tho men
roughly demanded gdmittance. Mr. Eysn,
though nearly sixty years Of ago, wss :.
pretty gritty man, and arming himssIf
With his shot gun he ordered them to keep
off on pain OF being shot. In responue
they fred one 0hot through the front door,
doing 10 damage e1csptto the door,
THE FATAL SHOT.
A moment later shot YES fred into
the side Of the house. It ia possible shss
this ohot sss hred merely to frighteN Mr.
Ryan. Iustesd ci this, however, it
pierced the hsavy Eesthsr-bosrdsng, the
lath and plaster, went cear through the
body of Mr.. Rysn, and afserwa,d through
the thick heat-hoard OF bed hesiLa
which he stood, and WAS then dt1.cted
and entered The wall OF tho room Gt al
anglo iron cud como distance above i!s
original raaga.
Mr.. Rysn's shut gun, az he fell, Saa dis
charged, ono barrel Of il, the charge lodg.
ing in tho wall. The hammer of this othsr
barrel remained cooked. The noise
aroused tho fsIuily and thoy removed NJ.
Ryan upstair1. where he fingered till
morning. dying about sunr!ee, expressing
forgiveness FOR his eremies and praying
for them.
THE CAPTURE.
Warrants were sworn out by Thomas
P. Ryan, jr,, the murdered man'a SOP, for
Perry Drake, whom the old man thought
he recognized among his murderers,
George Duii and Winchester Coon. In
pencil the aame OF Robert NJ. DnG was
added to the warrant. Constable Gibson
with posss OF five started to make tho
arrest. Drake wss, however, arrested be.
fore the warrant was Issued and went
along without objection. Coon and George
DuE wero next arrested, q large and ex-
cited crowd following tho conatablo. The
two men were alarmed and Coon aaked
what wGu wanted. The only response wes
shot from the crowd and immediately
tho firing BECAME general. Three CT the
attacking party were wounded, but no one
fatally. Gaorse Duff was fatally shot in
the abdomen.
Cocn surrendered when told by friend
that he,wss wanted fos tho murder Of Mr..
Ryan, saying hs wsa resdy to go. Ho had
supposed the attack WAS by personal enc
mie5. p
Tbs crowd then preceded to arrest
Rober! NJ. Due, which was done without
trouble. The three were taken to the
scene OF the murder, and near there left
under guard 10 await en- examina-
tion on Monday.
Saturday night the members OF the
consolidated Band," as the lynchers
called themselves, notified Coon that they
intended to hang him. :.
sW 4 FAREWELL LETTER.
Ho sakcd for paper and wrote letter to
his mother, Mrs. Eliz, E. Coon, Hunting
ington, in which he addressed her rs
Darling Mother and told her OF the ei:ps-
ton and the charge, and adding, "Ehis is
the last time you will ever hear from me,
for I am going to be hung. Give my re-
CARDS TO my sisters and brothors and this
Is sll can say: 1t ia my dying truth.
am not guilty. God bless you, my darling
mother. 6l#
Your loving son, 81
It was only few momcnts later until
the threat was carrisd out. Coon was
taken by a few Of the mob without resis.
tance by his guards. Two o! tho guards
belonged to the "Band.n He Was led q
shcst distance to the banks Of the creek,
was asked to confesu and refused, and be
was hung.
COLD FLOODED MURDERS.
There were about seventy possons pros:
ent, partly innocent spectators attracted by
curiosity. The mob thon returned for
Robert DuG, claiming that Coon had
mado coniacsion imp!icst!ng Dan Gun.
ningham as the leader in all the numer.
ous robberiea and the Ryan murder. This
confession, 1t waa alleged, declared "Doc''
Jones and Dick shamblin innocent OF
connection with the robbery Of Jacob
Keyser. This ended it, co reported.
These two men named had been positive.
| ly identified by Ksyser as the men who
Iohbed him Of hiemouey two wseke be.